A 12-year-old boy has been missing from Knoxville's West Lonsdale neighborhood, and police believe he may still be somewhere nearby. Aubrey Burris has not been seen or heard from, and authorities are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, Aubrey is known to frequent the Lonsdale area and is believed to still be in the vicinity. He is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. Investigators are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward, and the department has publicly labeled the case a missing child alert, urging the community to share details widely.
A separate social media alert relayed by N' Cuffs is also circulating. The available alerts do not state whether Aubrey is staying somewhere voluntarily or whether any adult in the area is aware of his location without his family's knowledge.
How to Report a Tip
Anyone with information can contact police directly at 865-215-7000. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers by calling 877-363-8847, texting ETtips to 738477, using the P3Tips app, or submitting a tip online at EastTNValleyCrimeStoppers.org. Text tip senders should note that message frequency varies and that standard message and data rates may apply.
East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers was established in May 2021 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit through a joint initiative of the Knoxville City Council, the Mayor's Office, and the Knoxville Police Department, according to East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. The organization offers anonymous tipsters cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information that helps resolve cases, and it runs a 24/7 regional tip line across East Tennessee.
How Missing Child Cases Move Through the System
The available sources do not identify the Knoxville Police Department unit responsible for missing juvenile investigations, describe how long cases remain active, or detail coordination with state agencies.
State law tied to the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act requires local agencies to enter a reported missing child into the National Crime Information Center database within two hours, according to Tennessee Department of Children's Services protocol documented by PowerDMS. That rapid entry is designed to alert state and federal law enforcement databases almost immediately after a report is filed.
Law enforcement and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation determine whether an AMBER Alert or Endangered Child Alert is issued. The DCS protocol describes Endangered Child Alert eligibility in terms of a runaway child with a special need or a child outside the zone of safety. A Tennessee AMBER Alert requires imminent danger of bodily injury under specific circumstances. It is not yet known whether Aubrey's case will prompt an Endangered Child Alert if he is not located soon.
A Densely Populated Neighborhood With Deep Roots
Lonsdale's history and demographic profile are not detailed in the available source material.
The available source material does not include details about other missing-youth cases around Knoxville or National Center for Missing & Exploited Children statistics.
Anyone who may have seen Aubrey or knows where he could be staying is urged to contact Knoxville Police or submit a tip through East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers using the phone, text, app, or online options listed above.
